Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Once again Hawthorn has set us a challenge, one I have to admit did not initially inspire me but once I gave it some thought it was no problem

1. Blue

Bluebird Electric 1 broke the British speed record for an
electric vehicle in 1997. The car continued the tradition of the
record-breaking Campbell family as Bluebird Electric 1 was developed and driven
by Don Wales, the grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell. Picture taken on a visit to the Lakeland
Motor Museum, Cumbria with our grandsons.

2. Eye

This very beady eyed gull was actually standing on the bonnet
of our car in a car park overlooking Spittal beach near Berwick-on-Tweed. He was watching us eat our sandwiches and
every so often would tap the bonnet of our car to remind us he was there and
wanting food!! We were good and ignored
him and he eventually flew off to find a more willing family to feed him. But being so close to him I was glad there was glass between us, that beak looked lethal!

3. Button

I bought this very beautiful hand painted antique button for
my daughter-in-law as she loves butterflies and collects unusual buttons to
stick around her notice board in the kitchen.

4. Favourite

My favourite picture taken this month is of the spread my
daughter-in-law and I prepared for her birthday when Hawthorn’s family came
across here for birthday tea. It made a
lovely change from scones and cake. We
arranged cut up fruit on plates, stands and platters and served it with tubs of
soft serve ice cream and fruit drinks.
Look closely and you can see one candle in the centre of the arrangement
on the cake stand – we all sang lustily while she blew out her candle. (She would not let me put more candles
on!!). The fruit preparation was a bit
time consuming but fun to do and well appreciated.

5. Feet

Jak again! He slept in the strangest places, this time the magazine rack but he was too long and his feet always hung out.

6. Glass

Each piece of green glass has a story to tell - the tall bottle with stopper at the back held
bath salts and was given to my mother in the 1970’s when she lived in Capetown.
The two small green vases decorated with
silver were a gift to my mother and I brought back from a holiday in Vienna in 1956 by a very special friend to where we all lived in Lusaka in present day Zambia. The tall glass hock glass at the back was one of a pair. I still remember very clearly how quickly my
mother and I ran to the lounge when we heard the tinkle of glasses being banged
together by a certain Hawthorn when she was about 18 months old – we did not
think she could reach them but she had clambered up. She was not the reason
there is only one left – the other broke during one of my parents many moves.

7. Green

This picture was taken in the courtyard of a tea room on Lindesfane (Holy Island) Northumberland. This is really taking green driving to the extreme! It's registration plate showed HEDGE 1.

8. Floor

This photo was taken in the Quire (ancient spelling of
Choir) in York Minster. Whenever we have
friends from South Africa come to stay we take them to York to see the very beautiful
and impressive Minster. This tiled pattern on the floor was carried on throughout the whole Minster.

9. Knitted/crocheted

"A TwiddleMuff is a woollen muff with twiddles attachedinside
and out, designed to provide a stimulation activity for the restless
hands of disoriented or confused patients, particularly those with dementia.

When distributed at the hospital, they are
labelled with the patient’s name to prevent any cross infection and patients
will be able to take them home with them so there will always be a need for
many more to be made."

I was asked to make Twiddlemuffs for Airedale Hospital’s
Occupational Therapy Department. To date
I have made 10. They are fun to make and use up odd bits of wool. My friend ‘Threads through my Life’ very
kindly donated many different ‘twiddles’ to sew on to the muffs. I have inserted chunky zips from old jeans in
some and put small knitted toys on a
crochet chain inside, attached necklaces from charity shops threaded onto shoe
laces so they can’t be broken and other things to fiddle with to occupy the restless hands of dementia patients. I
also like to use fluffy wool in bands in the lining layer as they contrast in
texture. Anyone wanting some small
project will find that the OT departments in their local hospitals are only too
grateful to receive them. From experience I find that
crocheting them makes a firmer muff and is easier to put in an opening for pockets or
zips. Google Twidlemuffs for ideas if
interested.

The measurements and knitting pattern are on line too.

10. My own choice

This hot weather this month has brought back fond memories of Jak taking advantage of the fan in the lounge. Actually he took advantage of many things,
but was so loved he was allowed to get away with it!! He would sleep on our bed – making us hot –
trying to get the breeze from the fan in our bedroom.

About Me

We returned to live in the UK after living in Southern and Central Africa, in my case for 55 years and my husband having been born there. We came to be with our family who were now all living here with their families.